New Showbiz

You are here:
The Midwife

The Midwife

2015

Director

Antti J. Jokinen

Runtime

119 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Helena has worked as a kind of midwife on the eve of the Lapland War. She wants to leave everything behind, and a suitable opportunity arises when she falls in love with a German-Finnish officer Johannes, who is leaving to German-led Titovka prison camp in the Soviet Union. Helena enlists into the camp as a nurse, where she experiences the brutality of war.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

4.1/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film centers on a heteronormative romantic arc between Helena and Johannes. There is no evidence of queer narratives or non-cisnormative identities present in the story.

Gender Representation

Fair

Helena serves as a proactive protagonist who moves from midwifery to nursing in a war camp. While she shows professional competence and agency, her motivations are tied to a traditional romantic impetus.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The Lapland War setting introduces Finnish, German, and Soviet interests. However, the story prioritizes interpersonal and romantic tensions over a broad exploration of racial or ethnic intersectionality.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The narrative explores the trauma of war and imprisonment through institutional deconstruction. It focuses on individual suffering rather than systemic critiques of Western institutions or specific ideological movements.

Disability Representation

Minimal

The available information provides no mention of characters navigating physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Strengths

  • The female protagonist demonstrates significant agency and professional competence.
  • The setting provides a high-stakes backdrop of geopolitical and wartime tension.

Areas for Improvement

  • The narrative relies on traditional heteronormative romantic structures.
  • The story lacks depth regarding racial, ethnic, or intersectional complexities.
  • There is an absence of diverse representation regarding LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities.

AI Analysis

The Midwife is a traditional historical drama that prioritizes individual resilience and romantic tension over intersectional complexity. While the female lead avoids passive tropes by actively navigating a brutal war environment, the narrative structure remains conventional. The film utilizes a geopolitical backdrop of the Lapland War to drive its plot, yet it focuses on the personal connection between a Finnish woman and a German-Finnish officer. This focus limits the exploration of broader ethnic or cultural nuances. Ultimately, the film lacks intentional systemic subversion. It functions as a character-driven period piece that adheres to established storytelling patterns rather than challenging social or cultural norms.

How are these scores produced? →

Similar Movies

Movie poster for The Other Side of the Mountain

The Other Side of the Mountain

2012

No user ratings available yet
Diversity score: 5.1 out of 10

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.